


gensokyo, past & present.

by cheinsaw



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Adoption, Alcohol, F/F, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Illnesses, Injury, Multi, PC-98, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-17
Packaged: 2018-03-05 09:04:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3114074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheinsaw/pseuds/cheinsaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a place for me to collect all my touhou prompt fills.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Reimu/Suika/Shinmyoumaru

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reisuishin for tumblr user fujoshiphobia

Shinmyoumaru is a bit scared that she’s intruding upon what already exists in the Hakurei Shrine. Suika and Reimu have been together for years, and their dynamic is like no other - back and forth, back and forth. They even sleep on the same futon every night, sprawled all over each other. It’s clear they know each other better than anyone else. It’s not something Shinmyoumaru could hope to attain, having known them both for just a few short weeks. But they do their best to make her feel welcome, even if it falls slightly short.

Suika is the one who has the brilliant idea. When she and Reimu are drinking together one afternoon, Suika turns toward the little girl in the dollhouse, and after a few seconds stands up and pads her way over wordlessly.

"What are you doing?" Reimu asks, sounding less interested than she probably wants to.

Suika unlatches the front of the dollhouse, peering down at Shinmyoumaru. “Come drink with us!” she says. Her face is huge from where Shinmyoumaru sits, and she smells strongly of alcohol. Her ginger-colored eyes are shining and cheery, probably from how drunk she is.

Shinmyoumaru doesn’t want to intrude. She really doesn't. She wants to go home, back to her castle. She wants to get the Mallet’s power back. She wants to be herself, not stuck in a cage in someone else’s life.

"Okay," she says instead, because they are trying.

Suika giggles excitedly and scoops Shinmyoumaru into her hand. They cross the room in seconds, a trip that would normally take Shinmyoumaru at least five minutes. She barely has time to think about it before Suika gently deposits her on Reimu's kotatsu, next to two cups of sake just as big as she is.

"Suika, she could swim in that," Reimu says, eyeing the two glasses. She picks up the cup that must be hers and takes a sip, her comparatively huge hands nearly brushing against Shinmyoumaru.

"It’s okay," Shinmyoumaru says. "I can just sit… I guess?"

"Naaah. How are you gonna drink with us without a cup?" Suika looks puzzled for a second, and then her face lights up. "Got it!" She dips her finger into the gourd by her side and holds it out in front of Shinmyoumaru, dripping with sake.

"You're having her lick it off your finger? That's weird, even for you."

"Um," Shinmyoumaru says.

"Fine," Suika drawls. She wanders off somewhere for a few minutes, leaving an utterly confused Reimu and Suika who can do nothing but look at each other.

When Suika returns, she has a little thimble in the palm of her hand and a triumphant expression on her face. “I knew it was around here somewhere.”

"Where did you find that?" Reimu asks. "I've been meaning to give that back to Sakuya for like a year, but I kept losing track of it."

"Your kitchen! I remembered it from one time I was here, so I made myself into a bunch of tiny Suikas so I could look. Now you have a cup," she says to Shinmyoumaru proudly.

"That’s solid silver and it belongs to Remilia," Reimu says, but it doesn't sound like she really minds. "You couldn’t find anything else?"

"Oh, shush, we’re just having fun," Suika pouts. "What’s the Scarlet Devil gonna do with a thimble anyway?" She dips the thimble into her own cup, then gives it to Shinmyoumaru, grinning.

The makeshift cup is heavy, but the sake is warm and sweet. And despite Reimu’s halfhearted protests, Shinmyoumaru has to admit it’s nice. They finally found something her own size. It’s the first time she’s been able to fit in since she left her castle. It feels like a dream.


	2. Mima/Yuuka - Flowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for tumblr user pc98yuuka

Mima could lie and say it wasn’t like her to leave without a trace. But it’s true. It’s very, very like her. And that’s why Yuuka called her back.

There must still be things left undone.

"Anyone home?" Mima calls into the darkened mansion, though she’s playing around more than anything. The owner and all her staff are long gone, the corridors dusty and overrun with ferns and moss. Mima’s careful not to brush up against any of the plant life. If Yuuka is watching (and she always is, somehow), she’ll show no mercy if any of her precious greenery is defiled. Mima doesn’t really care, but she didn’t come here to get into a fight.

"Come on out, if you’re in here," Mima says sweetly. She could very well be talking to a wall. But she promised she would come back, eventually. If Yuuka isn’t even here, then so be it. At least she tried. No one can say she didn’t.

It happens quickly, but not surprisingly. Plants bloom all around Mima, impossibly fast, large roses and daisies and vines sprouting and opening to face her.

"Do you like it?" a familiar voice asks.

"Love it," Mima says. "Your carpets were so ugly before."

"Now, now," Yuuka says, floating out of the darkness towards Mima. She’s cut her hair since Mima saw her last, and exchanged her old clothes for a lacy gingham dress. "It’s not as if it matters, is it?" Her lips curl up. They have always been so very red. That hasn’t changed.

"Well? What did you want, calling me out here?"

"Come with me."

Mima’s taken aback by the request. It’s not like Yuuka to be so forward. “Why? I have so much fun here already.”

"I like you. It would be very interesting to have you around. We would be quite the combined force, you know…"

"Who says I like _you_?" Mima taunts.

"You won’t, then… I see." Yuuka nods to herself. "I must say I didn’t anticipate this."

"I didn’t come here to fight," Mima says. "But if you push me… you know."

"We don’t have to fight. We both already know who the strongest is." Yuuka smiles slyly. "I just wish you would join me. My new home is beautiful, up in a wide open field… Nothing like this old place."

"I don’t want to," Mima says. Plain and simple.

Yuuka draws in a slow, deep breath. The fingers tighten around her parasol. “Very well. This could be the last time we meet for many years.”

Mima gives her a little nod. “I know. That’s why I brought you something of a… parting gift.”

"Oh?" Yuuka smiles again. "What’s this?"

"Oh, just a little… something." Mima tosses the small package she brought with her towards Yuuka’s feet.

"I have to thank you, then," Yuuka says, gracefully recovering the little satchel. "My dear friend."

"Yeah, yeah." Mima crosses her arms.

"Well, then, until we meet again." Yuuka closes her eyes and turns on her heel where she’s floating, and disappears from sight. The plants start to wither away as soon as she’s gone.

"Same to you," Mima says to the darkness.

* * *

 

"How do you like them? My cute, lovely sunflowers." Yuuka smiles, that unnerving little gesture she knows can disarm anyone.

"T-they’re great," the little fairy says. "I thought they were really pretty, so I just came to see. I’ll be going now…"

"Oh, no. Wouldn’t you like to stay a little? These sunflowers sometimes get very lonely."

"Lonely?"

"Yes, yes, they can feel emotions, just like you. Isn’t it wonderful?" Yuuka twirls her parasol. "My flower children."

The fairy shifts a little. “They’re really pretty, but I’d really like to go.”

"Oh, but the flowers would love you to stay. After all…" Yuuka closes her eyes, remembering. "They were a gift from my most precious friend."


	3. Seiga/Futo - Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for tumblr user seiyoshis (good shit op!)

Shikaisen aren’t supposed to suffer any of the ailments that humans do. No need for sleep or food, no illness, no death. They can essentially just  _be_ , without having to worry about the trappings of humanity.

"I don’t get it," Miko frowns. "Why is this happening? I’m going to have to call Seiga…"

"Thou’st made a mistake!" Futo cries. "I am not ill."

"You have a fever of thirty-eight degrees, Futo," Tojiko says dryly. "Something’s wrong with you. More than usual."

"It will get better with time," Futo insists.

Miko shakes her head. “I think I’m going to contact Seiga. She knows about things like this better than we do. If your fever is for a reason, she’ll be able to figure it out.”

Futo tries to protest some more, but Tojiko just presses a damp cloth to their forehead and tells them to shut up. Miko isn’t any help either, preoccupied with trying to get a hold of Seiga. And before too long Futo’s left alone again, desperately trying to convince themself that they’re not sick.

"Oh? Taishi-sama wasn’t exaggerating," Seiga says, leaning over the bed where Futo rests. Futo tries to bury their head under the blankets. Out of all things, an encounter with Seiga while they’re lying helpless in bed is not something they want. "Well. This is quite the predicament, isn’t it?"

"I am not ill," Futo insists. "It shall pass."

"Taishi-sama’s wife said your fever is at… what, thirty-eight? Oh, Futo-chan, you’re sick."

"I hadst thought ‘twas impossible…"

"Well, yes, in theory. Shikaisen just don’t  _get_  sick. I’ve never been sick. Did you take it from a human?” She smiles. Her canines are sharp. “Now, Futo-chan. How romantic of you!”

"'There was no romance involved. I may’st not say what doth caused it, but ‘tis a mystery to both me and the crown prince."

"Why do you still talk like that?" Seiga asks, abruptly changing the subject.

Futo glares a little, but it falls short. “‘Tis simply how I hath always spoken.”

Seiga sighs. “It’s kind of cute. When you can understand it, I mean.”

"Cute?" Futo gasps, almost not believing their ears.

"Yes, that’s what… Are you blushing?" Seiga laughs.

“‘Tis simply mine fever…”

"Oh, no! Look me in the eyes and tell me that. Come on," Seiga says, her face all lit up.

Futo has never been one to back down from a challenge. They look up, directly into Seiga’s eyes (those beautiful dark blue eyes with their long lashes and the way they shine), and say as clearly as they can, “Mine fever. Hath reddened mine face.”

Seiga’s eyes go wide. “Oh, Futo-chan! You’ve got a crush on me!”

Futo’s face burns. “T-thou must be mistaken. Mine romantic feelings do not involve thee…”

Seiga laughs, cupping Futo’s face in one of her delicate hands. Out of the corner of their eye, they can see that her nails are painted a delicate pearl-colored pink. Somehow that little touch makes it even worse, because it’s so pretty, it’s so Seiga. “Futo-chan, darling… It’s quite rude to lie to a lady.”

"I," Futo says. "Um. Wish not to speak of this matter."

"Yes, you’d probably make your fever worse like this." She straightens herself up and makes for the door. "Well, I’m out of ideas! Get well soon… beautiful."

Futo squeaks embarrassingly, rolls over, and hides their face in their pillow until they’re sure she’s gone.

Their fever breaks a few days later, after plenty of damp washcloths from Tojiko and worried attention from Miko. Futo’s back to normal by the end of the week. But the memory of Seiga’s gorgeous eyes, staring unwaveringly into theirs, continues to linger on.


	4. Kanako/Suwako - Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GAY MOMS for tumblr user rabbiteclair

First she has her shrine maidens. She’s always had them, girls who stood by her side and devoted their faith to her. Curse gods, lovely goddess, and their caring followers. They serve her and the Mishaguji, and they are happy. And so is she.

And then there is Kanako.

When Kanako defeats her with a steady hand and a strong will, Suwako accepts it gracefully. Kanako stands tall, head held high, as she makes Suwako’s shrine her own. Suwako lets her. She’s so strong. She’s so beautiful. Before long Suwako loves her.

The devoted shrine maidens fade away, the followers decrease in number. But they have each other, and that’s that. “Don’t you miss them? All those girls?” Kanako asks one day, and Suwako just places a hand on Kanako’s shoulder and says no.

"How could I miss them when you’re here?" Her hand ghosts upward to cradle Kanako’s face. "Kana-chan, you’re more to me than any of my followers could ever be."

Kanako blushes and looks away. “Well, I suppose…”  _I love you too_ , her body language says.

Suwako’s never heard of a god getting married, as long as she’s existed. But she loves Kanako with all her heart, loves being with Kanako and the time they share together. She knows Kanako feels the same about her. And so they declare themselves married, two gods becoming one. Simply the Moriya. They can both gather faith from the followers that remain. And they are happy together.

A thousand years later they are tangled in each other, warm and close, when Kanako suddenly says, “Have you ever considered having a family, perhaps?”

Suwako rests her head against Kanako’s shoulder, looking up into her wife’s eyes. “You are my family.”

"I know. I meant… If you’d like, I want to… raise a child with you."

Suwako wraps her arms around Kanako’s waist. “That would be really nice, I think.”

It’s a year before it comes to fruition. Kanako makes visits and does paperwork and goes out to buy things they’ve never had before - baby formula, plastic toys, tiny clothes. And then, she comes home with their newly adopted daughter, bundled up in blankets. Kanako glows, holding the child. Suwako has never felt anything quite like the joy when she sees that small sleeping face the first time.

The girl is a happy baby, babbling and laughing and moving around often. They decide together to name her Sanae, their little god child. She sleeps between her mothers every night, Kanako on her left, Suwako on her right. And when Suwako sings her daughter lullabies and watches her wife’s soft smile, she can’t help but feel overcome with that joy once again. They’re her precious, wonderful, lovely family.


	5. Mokou/Keine - Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for tumblr user rabbiteclair

Something’s off. Something big is off. Mokou noticed the moon a few days ago, because it’s one of their few constants, and of course they’d notice, but it’s not just that.

The night seems to never end. Mokou’s used to feelings of endlessness - they’re immortal, after all - but this feels different, something real, not just a fabrication of their own dizzy mind. And it feels like something - someone - is missing.

Keine.

She isn’t in her house, where she usually is by this time of night, resting up for the coming school day. It’s not the full moon yet, so she shouldn’t be out wandering the bamboo forest, but Mokou has the sinking feeling something unusual is going on.

They find her exactly where they expected after all, though she’s in a sorry state. Keine is half lying, half sitting on the ground just outside the human village. Even from far away, they can see a long gash down her leg and blood on her face. Her sleeve is torn, revealing more blood beneath, and her hat’s been knocked off her head.

They waste no time in rushing to her side. “Keine! Hey, Keine!”

"Mokou," she says, looking up. "Don’t worry, I just fell down…" She tries to get back on her feet, but stumbles and lands on the ground again.

"What happened?" Mokou asks, reaching out to grab Keine and hoist her up, placing her uninjured arm over their shoulders.

"I just lost a danmaku fight protecting the village. It’s okay, I made sure they didn’t go near, just…" She goes quiet for a moment. "They stopped the night."

"Really? Thought it would’ve been the Lunarians."

"No, no, but they’re definitely behind the disturbance in the moon itself. Have you noticed? The full moon is overdue."

"So someone froze the night… Huh," Mokou says. "It’ll get fixed eventually."

"How can you be so carefree about this?"

“‘Cause I’m more worried about you.”

Mokou slowly walks Keine to their own little cottage, stopping every so often to let her rest. It seems that her ankle got twisted at some point during her fight, so Mokou ends up simply carrying her for the remainder of the journey. They sit her down at the table and gently wipe her wounds with a cloth, making sure to stop all the bleeding they can. After they’ve cleaned and bandaged her arm and leg, they look up into her eyes. “Any other injuries?”

"I don’t think so. Usually it’d be me asking you," Keine says, her mouth quirking up.

"Yeah, well, you’re not gonna live forever," Mokou retorts, then inhales sharply as they remember. "Sorry. I, uh… Sorry."

"It’s okay," Keine says. "Shhh. I know."

Mokou tapes some gauze over the scrape on Keine’s face in silence, biting their lip. When it’s finished, they look her in the eye. “Stay with me tonight.”

"I have to protect—"

"You’re in no state to do that, Keine. The village will be okay without you for one night. Please… Stay here and rest. I’ll look after you."

Keine nods slowly. “…Alright. I suppose I wouldn’t be much of a protector if I can’t even walk,” she says. She smiles a little, but the puff of gauze on her cheek is in the way. “Ow.”

Mokou reaches out to stroke her hair. “It’ll be okay. Get some rest.”

Keine falls asleep quickly in Mokou’s bed, long white hair cascading across the futon. Mokou sits by her side in case she needs anything, but before long they’re sleeping too. And when the morning comes (the morning!), Mokou takes care to bring Keine breakfast and check up on her wounds again.

"They’ll heal when I transform tonight," Keine says.

"You think the moon is back to normal?"

"I know it. I can feel it." She reaches out to hold Mokou’s hand. "But nevertheless, thank you, Mokou. I’m really grateful."

Mokou smiles a little, entwining their fingers with Keine’s. “It’s the least I could do.”


	6. Marisa/Nitori - Breaking the Rules

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for tumblr user rabbiteclair. coincidentally, the most fun i've had writing anything since polished.

"Man. Oh man. This is gonna be so great," Nitori says excitedly, twisting her lockpick inside the shrine’s huge padlock.

"I know," Marisa says absently. Her job in this ordeal is to defuse any magical seals that might be on the storehouse, which it’s likely there will be. She’s thinking more about that than the treasure at hand, not wanting to lose her life before she can get to it.

"Feels like it’ll pop any time," Nitori murmurs, fiddling with her tools. "Get ready."

Marisa points her hakkero at the lock, but when it clicks open, nothing happens. No explosion, no blast of magic, no loud noises. The lock is just dislodged. “Somehow this is scarier than if it blew up,” she says finally.

"Do they usually?"

"Yeah, at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. But I guess this place doesn’t have a frickin’ elemental mage on their side…"

"Oh, true. We’re probably fine," Nitori says cheerfully, adjusting the straps on her backpack. "Let’s dig in!"

The storehouse behind the Moriya Shrine is not very well guarded. It’s kind of disappointing to Marisa—less protection means less valuables inside. But then, she supposes, it means what whatever  _is_  valuable will be easy to take.

Nitori quickly finds what she’s looking for: discarded electronics and appliances. She keeps talking, more to herself than to Marisa, about how cool this all is and how she’s going to have the best time taking all of it apart. Marisa wanders around the little building, idly picking at boxes.  _Instant ramen?_  she wonders. _What’s instant about it?_  She decides to hoist up the box and find out, carrying it under her arm. If she can’t figure out its secrets she’ll just ask Patchouli later. “Hey, Nitori, we gotta hurry up,” she finally says, shifting impatiently. “Sun’s gonna rise soon and then the tengu will be out and… yeah.”

"I know, I know." Nitori crams a small handheld device into one of the pockets on her dress. "Everything’s just really… I want to see it, I want to see how it all works."

"Yeah, well, you gotta hurry up, or—"

"Looking for something?"

Nitori freezes in horror. Marisa turns around fast as a whip, her heart beating out of control.

Suwako stands there in the doorway, small but intimidating, and with several large snakes coiling around her ankles and by her sides. “Did you come to fight? It’s pretty late for that, you know.”

"I can explain," Marisa says. "We were just. Investigating. Your lock was broken so we wanted to make sure nobody stole anything."

"At four in the morning?" Suwako cocks her head.

"Yeah."

Suwako gives a little sigh. “I doubt anyone would steal from here. It’s only things we brought from the outside we can’t use anymore. And besides… You’d have to be the worst kind of fool to steal from a curse god.”

Now Marisa remembers. They aren’t snakes. They’re the Mishaguji.

"Well? Are you ready to tell the truth? Or did you come to fight after all?"

"We’ll put everything back and it’ll be like we were never here," Nitori pleads suddenly.

"I don’t care about that. I want to know why you are in my storehouse." Suwako can be terrifying, it seems. With the right lighting and the tone of her voice and the Mishaguji ready for her command, she really looks like the curse god she is. "Or maybe you do want to fight?"

Nitori and Marisa look at each other in the dim light and drop everything they’re holding at the same time.

"Yeah, um, sorry, but I don’t think we’re up for it," Nitori says.

"I just remembered I left my stove on," Marisa adds.

Suwako just shakes her head. “Honestly… trying to talk your way out of this when you’re quite literally cornered? You’re both like children.” She starts to ready one of her spellcards.

"Wait, wait, we put everything back!" Nitori cries. "We promise we won’t do it again."

Suwako lowers her arm, and the Mishaguji start to slither away, back into the darkness around the lake. “That’s a promise you better keep,” she says. “‘Cause, you know, the Mishaguji aren’t bound by the spellcard rules. They might  _accidentally_  kill you next time.”

"We got it, we got it. We’re goin’," Marisa says.

"You’re lucky it was me and not Kanako!" Suwako calls out once Marsa and Nitori have left the storehouse, and then she’s gone as fast as she appeared.

Marisa lets out a heavy sigh. “That was close. That was really frickin’ close.”

"Tell me about it…" Nitori slowly pulls the plastic device out of her dress pocket. In the early morning light, Marisa can read "GameBoy" printed on its top. "This is all I got."

Marisa laughs, reaching down and lifting two packages of instant ramen out of her bloomers. “Better than nothin’. You’re a really good liar, Nitori.”

Nitori flashes a toothy smile. “Thanks!”

They sit together on the banks of the river examining their newfound goods until the sun’s high in the sky. “Anywhere else you wanna hit up?” Marisa asks, once she’s finally done struggling with the packaged noodles.

"Oh, I think I’m fine for now. This thing should keep me busy for a while." Nitori smiles. "Thanks for coming! We should do that again."

"I dunno about stealin’ from the Moriya, but yeah. Maybe I’ll take you to the Scarlet Devil Mansion sometime."

Nitori laughs and dives into the waist-deep water. “Then it’s a plan.”


	7. Kanako & Sanae - Stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for tumblr user nulldriver

The sky is clear on the night before they leave. Suwako falls asleep early, yawning something about needing her energy for their big day tomorrow before dozing off. Kanako and Sanae lift her up together, tucking her into her bed before leaving her to rest. And then it is just them, sitting in the shrine as they always have after dinner, watching mindless TV and maybe eating dessert. Tonight, though, it’s different.

Sanae isn’t nervous. She’s excited to leave the world she’s never felt like she really belonged in, and the thought makes her heart flutter. She’s tried not to let it show, though, focusing instead on helping Kanako and Suwako with their preparations. At night, when she’s alone, she sometimes catches herself fantasizing about what Gensokyo might be like, and it makes her smile. A world where living gods are normal. Where she’ll fit in without even trying. What could be better than that?

It was Suwako’s plan, originally. Suwako, old goddess, wanting nothing more than to express her true powers once again, cooped inside for far too long - Suwako loves the idea. She’s been talking about going since before Sanae was even born. And, if her exaggerations are anything to go by, Gensokyo is absolutely full of girls, which makes Suwako even happier.

Kanako’s harder to read. She always has been. She sits there stoically, talking about the technicalities and the big picture, the specifics of how they’ll get to Gensokyo, and her plans to sustain their shrine after. Any emotions she might have about leaving the world they live in, positive or negative, don’t show on her face.

Sanae isn’t sure if she should ask. It’s not her place. She’s only a shrine maiden, and Kanako is her god. But there’s something special, something different about tonight.

"Kanako-sama?"

Kanako turns to look at her slowly, setting down her tea mug. “What is it?”

"Oh, forgive me if this is… something I shouldn’t ask, but - are you going to miss it here?"

Kanako’s face is expressionless as usual. “Leaving is what’s best for all of us.”

"I know that, but… I’m asking about you. Do you really want to go, or are you just going for the sake of…"

"I would stop existing if I stayed here, as would Suwako. It doesn’t matter. We’re leaving."

"I know…" Sanae’s at a loss, backed into a corner by Kanako’s refusal to answer. She’s about to head off to bed early when Kanako suddenly speaks again.

"I think… it will be interesting there. I’ve missed being able to truly show who I am. And I miss the way things were a long, long time ago, before you or your birth parents or their parents or their parents’ parents were even alive. I would like to see it again in Gensokyo."

"Oh," Sanae says.

"But… There are some things to be said about the way things are today." Kanako smiles a little. "Coffee grinders, for instance. Tap water. Refrigerators. Heating and electricity. Things we won’t have in Gensokyo. And if everything goes as planned, well… It certainly won’t be as quiet around here anymore."

"That’s a good thing, Kanako-sama?" Sanae’s smiling too now, glad she was able to see her god open up, just once.

"Of course. We need all the followers we can get." Kanako finishes off her tea and makes for the kitchen to go and rinse out the mug. "But I’ll miss the quiet," she calls out to Sanae over the rush of running water.

Sanae nods, stretching as she gets to her feet. “I think I understand.”

———

Sanae wakes up around three in the morning, spots of purple and blue fading in and out behind her eyes. It’s too hot in her bed, so she lazily rolls out from under the covers and presses her limbs against the cool floor. She’s almost asleep again, her face half-buried in a stray stuffed animal, when she hears a soft click outside her room. Awkwardly, she stumbles to her feet and shuffles her way out to the hallway. Another click, this time from the front of the house, despite the pitch darkness.

Sanae’s intrigued. It’s probably one of the gods, just getting up to go to the bathroom or something, or Suwako getting a secret midnight snack, but her mind, addled with sleep, insists she needs to protect the shrine in case it’s an intruder. Her effort pays off when she steps into the kitchen and sees the front door slightly ajar, and a tall figure sitting on the steps just outside.

"Kanako-sama?"

Kanako turns around. Her hair is down, and she’s dressed in just a simple robe, unusual for her. “Sanae.”

"It’s late… Don’t you need some sleep?"

"I could say the same for you." Kanako taps the surface of the stair next to her. "Come sit."

Sanae dutifully obeys, sliding through the doorway and taking a seat next to Kanako. The warm night air feels thick, surrounding her like a blanket, but the stone steps against her thighs are sweetly cool. “What are you doing, Kanako-sama?”

Kanako nods, then looks up, arching her neck to the sky. “Look.”

Above the shrine, the sky is beautifully clear, not a cloud in sight. Each star seems to be twinkling, thousands of pinpricks of light in the blue darkness. Sanae inhales. She remembers watching the stars like this when she was younger, but always fell asleep in Kanako or Suwako’s arms without really appreciating it. “It’s beautiful,” she sighs.

"Isn’t it? This," she says, without taking her eyes off the sky, "is the thing I’ll miss most. Suwako and I used to watch the sky like this a long, long time ago. It has never changed in all the time we’ve been here."

"Do you think the same stars will be in Gensokyo?" Sanae asks.

Kanako chuckles a little. “I wouldn’t doubt it. Suwako says they have the same moon, so it’s likely it extends to the rest of the sky as well.”

"It’d be nice," Sanae says.

They sit in silence, simply watching the stars, until Sanae starts yawning. “You should rest,” Kanako says. “Don’t forget what we have to do tomorrow. You’ll need your sleep.”

"But, Kanako-sama…"

"Sanae." Kanako pats her on the shoulder reassuringly. "I know. But it’s not your place right now to worry about me. I am a god, you know. I’ll be fine." Her dark eyes are unusually soft in the starlight. "But thank you nonetheless."

Sanae bids Kanako goodnight and tiptoes back to her own room. Before she dozes off to sleep again, she finds herself staring out her window, at the stars she can see sparkling behind the trees. She hopes Gensokyo will have the same sky. She wants to feel at home, even far away. She wants Kanako to feel at home, more than herself.

 _Maybe,_  she thinks as her eyes close, _the stars could be even more beautiful out there. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Especially for Kanako-sama._

The last thing she hears is the soft  _shhh_  of Kanako closing the door to her bedroom once again. And everything is still in the little shrine once more.


End file.
